


Meet the Parents

by grelleswife



Series: Kuroshitsuji Role Plays [9]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Aarushi, Ambrose - Freeform, Angst with a Happy Ending, Collaboration, Eddie the demon, Family Drama, Faustian Bargain, Meet the Family, Other, Sebastian's and Agni's second child has made bad life decisions, but all will turn out for the best!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:47:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24148417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grelleswife/pseuds/grelleswife
Summary: Sebastian's and Agni's son Ambrose brings his "friend" Eddie over to visit. The problem? Eddie is actually a demon with whom Ambrose recently contracted.Written in collaboration with bapydemonprincess on Tumblr
Relationships: Agni & Original Characters, Agni/Sebastian Michaelis, Sebastian Michaelis & Original Characters
Series: Kuroshitsuji Role Plays [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1730281
Kudos: 8





	Meet the Parents

**Author's Note:**

> Bapy and I contributed equally to the manuscript.
> 
> Set in the same AU as Trouble on the Horizon, though Ambrose is now a young adult.
> 
> As alluded to in the story, Ambrose was born with demonic powers. However, since they weren't counterbalanced by the blessing of Kali, they placed his very life in jeopardy, forcing Hannah Annafellows to remove them completely to save Ambrose. As a result, he is for all practical intents and purposes a normal human being, though he still has slit pupils and black nails. Ambrose struggles with bitterness and resentment due to the lost gifts that were his birthright, and often takes out that anger on Sebastian.
> 
> You'll note that this is set in the present day (or a time period much closer to our own than the canon timeline). However, since taking a demon as one's mate carries certain supernatural advantages, Agni is alive and well.
> 
> Bassy is male-presenting here, but the kids tend to think of him as their "mother," "mum," etc. regardless.
> 
> The OCs Aarushi and Ambrose were created by bapydemonprincess, while Eddie the demon is a shared OC we've developed together. In their current form, Eddie appears to be a cute, unassuming young man with short black hair and round spectacles.

A little voice in Ambrose’s mind shouted at him as he drove across the countryside to his family’s home.

 _You’ve gone mad, haven’t you?_ it ranted. _“First you summoned a demon, contracted the demon, and now that you’ve known the demon for—what, a couple months?—you want to take the demon home to your family. TO YOUR HALF-DEMONIC FAMILY.”_

But Ambrose kept driving, already knowing they were near the family property, and recognizing every little landmark as he slowly spiraled into a panic.

“Hey, now,” came a voice at his side, quiet and understanding as always. “I can practically smell your sweat, you know. It’s okay, Ambrose. I’m sure things won’t go as badly as you may think they will.” A brief chuckle. “I mean, I’ve gotten used to acting and living like a human, so I’m sure I can pull off a visit with your family.”

Ambrose didn’t respond. _Couldn’t_ respond. He knew he’d dug his own grave, and likely Eddie’s, too. This…this poor young demon, who thought this was going to be a simple “meet the parents” scenario, had no idea the dumb mortal he’d made a contract with was actually bringing him into the orbit of a **way** more powerful demon.

Mum had explained “diabolical ranks” years ago. The memory was very vague, but a lot hung on a demon’s power, including some kind of title.

And if his demonic mother could perform feats like stopping a train with just one hand, or putting a dent in a heavily-armored tank with a single finely-dressed shoe, then Ambrose was most certain s/he was a goddamn powerhouse. And if said powerhouse learned about his current predicament with Eddie, who likely couldn’t do anything close to what Mum was capable of…well, the chances of servant and master surviving this day would be very, very unlikely.

Ambrose almost wished he could skip ahead to the “getting killed by Mum” part and just go on with his afterlife.

Oh, but here they were, in the driveway. Nothing had changed since he last left.

And it wasn’t the first time he’d brought someone new home, either.

There were just…a few minor differences. For example, this person was gonna take his soul eventually (again, if he survived this), and all because he’d wanted some goddamn demon powers.

His foot slammed on the brake.

Eddie jolted in the passenger seat, eyes widening in shock at the sudden halt, when they could see how close they were!

“Um, what was that for?”

“We can’t go in.”

“… Why not?”

“Eddie, just trust me. We can _not_ go in.” Ambrose’s tone grew sharp as a knife. He felt paralyzed, unable to look over at the unsuspecting demon.

“Then why did we come here, Ambrose?”

“I DON’T KNOW, OKAY, I just—I made a stupid choice. I do that all the time, Eddie!”

“Ah, Ambrose—”

“I know this looks bad, but listen, you have **no idea** how bad it really is, Eddie!”

“Ambrose…”

“I mean it’s so bad, I know for a fact that the minute we go up to that door, before we can even knock on it—”

“ _Ambrose_!!!”

“What, Eddie?!”

Ambrose finally snapped his head around to glare at the demon. Then, he managed to _focus_ on Eddie, who was staring straight ahead at something and lifted a shaky hand to point at it. And fear had crept over Eddie’s face, too.

As Ambrose followed the demon's finger, he realized who it was.

What he’d predicted would happen was already beginning before they’d so much as stepped out of the car.

At the end of the bright green lawn, standing on the steps leading to the front door, was none other than Sebastian Michaelis.

Standing there.

Watching.

Waiting.

Ambrose and Eddie were glued to their seats. They stared back helplessly, frozen in place like two little wild creatures that knew a predator was right before them, and that it would only take a split second for him to strike.

The threatening person outwardly resembled a mortal man, but Eddie knew the truth that lay beneath his deadly beauty. That aura…he hoped in vain that he was mistaken, but there was no denying the grim reality. This was another demon, far older and more powerful, with a commanding presence that could easily hold sway over lesser spirits. Such indomitable strength…By the nine circles! That demon must be one of the Diabolical Gentry!

“W-why didn’t you tell me one of your parents belonged to hell’s nobility?” Eddie squeaked out, barely forcing the words from his quivering lips. Ambrose didn’t possess a scrap of demonic ability—that was why Eddie had been summoned by his irascible master in the first place. Still, Eddie couldn’t believe he’d failed to pick up on Ambrose’s heritage. Was he that weak and naïve? Why hadn’t Ambrose trusted him with this secret? However, any hurt and shame that Eddie normally would have felt were promptly supplanted by overpowering terror. Like all demons, Eddie knew the taste of fear, the delicious tang it lent to cursed souls, but he’d never truly experienced it himself. This was akin to torture, every fiber of his human body screaming _Danger! Danger!_ while his consciousness grappled with the fact that there was no escape.

“My family’s too damn complicated,” Ambrose stuttered. His face had gone chalk-white, far exceeding his usual pallor.

The next thing they knew, the car doors were ripped off the automobile, and black tentacles snaked around them. Eddie screamed like a wounded hare as he was hoisted aloft. The other demon’s tentacles tightened around his waist and encircled his arms and legs like manacles before making their way to his throat, choking the young demon with merciless brutality.

The elder demon snarled, flashing their sharp white fangs. “I’ll only ask this once, scum. What the hell is your business with my child?”

Tears of pain sprang to Eddie’s eyes as he glanced furtively at Ambrose, whom the demon had drawn close to himself like a mother hen sheltering her chicks. Wouldn’t revealing their contract be considered a betrayal of his master? Though his false lungs screamed for air, Eddie clenched his teeth and remained silent. _If this is my final hour, I won’t defile our covenant with my cowardice._

The other demon’s eyes blazed crimson in their fury, and he bent Eddie’s limbs until the bones creaked dangerously. A little more effort on his part, and they’d snap like twigs. “Answer me!”

“Just—just t-t-tell him, Eddie!” Ambrose cried, whirling around to face the captive demon. For the first time since Eddie’d made Ambrose’s acquaintance, the white-haired youth looked desperate. “Don’t hurt him, Mum! Please!!!”

“Mas…ter…” Eddie croaked.

The other demon stiffened, and his gaze darted to the white seal on Eddie’s left hand.

“You…contracted…with my son?” he whispered. Somehow, the softness was more far frightening than his earlier roar. Incredulity, horror, anguish, and grief raced across his face in rapid succession.

The demon swiveled his head to look at Ambrose, who shook uncontrollably. “Show it to me.”

Ambrose stood rooted in place. 

“ ** _Show it to me_**!!!” the demon roared, his expression contorted in agony. Despite his current predicament, Eddie couldn’t help but feel a measure of sympathy. After all, what parent would _want_ their child to sell their soul to a devil?

Meekly, Ambrose pulled off his right glove and showed the back of his hand to his demonic parent, displaying the seal. He hung his head, but the demon grabbed him by the chin, staring into those gray eyes as if trying to divine the secrets of a lost language.

“What have you done, kitten?!”

Wheeling around to face Eddie, the demon growled, “Contracts be damned. While I still live, no one will lay a hand on my children. You are vermin, less than nothing, compared to one such as I, and I will end this here and now.”

“NO!!! Leave Eddie alone!” Ambrose screamed, struggling helplessly against the tentacles that still bound him.

Just at that moment, two people burst out of the house, presumably summoned by the present commotion. Their attire and dark skin reminded Eddie of mortals who hailed from East India. One of them was a tall, vigorous man with white hair and a hand swathed in bandages. Eddie instinctively flinched at the divine energy emanating from him. The other person looked younger, closer to Ambrose’s age, with black hair and gentle, carmine eyes. They also sported dark, feathered wings, a little tail, and a small pair of horns, and their aura baffled Eddie. He immediately sensed their demonic nature, but they also bore the same heavenly light as the man did. He’d never met anyone like that before. Of course, Eddie was largely preoccupied with his imminent demise.

“Sebastian, what’s the meaning of this?” the man gasped while Eddie flailed helplessly.

“Mama, please let that demon go!” the younger one begged, clutching at Sebastian’s arm. “We should discuss this peacefully!”

“There is nothing to _discuss_ now except how I will destroy this insignificant whelp and quash their attempt to steal Ambrose’s soul!”

“MUM, DON’T! PLEASE DON’T!” Ambrose shrieked at the top of his lungs, his throat burning. Blinded by terror, he was barely aware of what he was doing when he managed to rip through his mother’s grip and tackle Eddie.

“Ambrose’s soul?” Agni repeated quietly, still trying to put everything together, but not having enough time before seeing his youngest son embrace the unfamiliar demon, who was still trapped in Sebastian’s tentacles. “By the gods! Ambrose!” he immediately shouted in alarm, knowing for sure what his husband had been about to do with those tentacles. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen them in action, after all.

Aarushi covered their mouth in horror, but couldn’t look away.

And Sebastian snarled, looming over Ambrose and Eddie, his whole form inky black, except for his bared fangs and fiery eyes…

“Get off the little wastrel at once, Ambrose,” he commanded in a guttural growl. “We will discuss your idiocy in a minute, but for now I have to remove the source of the problem.”

Ambrose lifted his head from where it had been shielding Eddie. His dark, stormy eyes glared up at the elder demon, filled with a familiar anger…a feeling close to hatred, but not quite. The little demon in his grasp began to tremble violently. He recalled Eddie bringing up something about sensing others’ emotions, especially the most prominent ones, like…whatever the hell it was he was feeling currently.

“No,” he spat. “I—I won’t move until you back off and let me _explain_ , Mother! So—so if you wanna rip someone up, you’ll have to take me as well!”

This response made the demon jerk back, another snarl leaving his mouth.

Sebastian didn’t speak again, slit pupils just taking in the spectacle of his precious kitten protecting a demon with whom he’d contracted, thus giving away his soul. His life.

He saw clearly now. However long Ambrose had known this demon, their bond had grown in that small window, and now… now….

Ambrose noticed more tentacles rising, and the entire front lawn growing dim. The sun itself had vanished, blocked out by the darkness.

 _Fuck, we’re dead,_ he immediately thought, but all he could do was squeeze the demon he’d been clinging to for the past few minutes, wishing he could say something to them. Something like “I’m here, I’ve got you,” or “I’m so sorry,” or maybe, “It’s actually been nice getting to know you… Eddie.”

“Am… brose,” he heard Eddie whimper, and cracked open his eyes. Had he said that last part out loud?

Wait! Ambrose finally noticed the tentacles were gone, and he was just hugging Eddie!

Ambrose peeked back up at his mum and the others, and saw that his mother had returned to his human male form, not just a black inky silhouette anymore.

But that didn’t make him any less scary. Sebastian was absolutely livid as he glowered at them, shoulders tense, hands curled into fists. His teeth had shrunk a bit, but he still bared them, and those eyes… oh, nothing had changed about those.

“You wanted to explain, then _explain_ , Ambrose,” Sebastian said, his voice dangerously low.

Now they all stood there on the front steps expectantly; Mum, Dad, and even goddamn Aarushi, who Ambrose should have known would be visiting here by some fluke. After all, Aarushi visited their parents way more often than Ambrose…

Ambrose exhaled slowly. “Alright…okay…” he said, gradually pulling away from Eddie.

“Look, a…couple months ago, after um, having a…really bad day, I went to a local antique book store that had just opened, and thought I’d take a look around. Wanted a distraction, something to make me feel better. Anything. That’s all…then—then I found a book called _Various Rituals for Everyday Use_ and…I dunno. I just read it for the hell of it!”

Father and Aarushi looked both surprised and intrigued, though that constant concern for their younger sibling shone in Aarushi’s eyes. And Mum was…well, obviously he needed to keep going or else they’d go back to the doom and tentacles again.

“So, after going through most of it, I came upon an easy way to summon a demon with no mess. Y-you know, without the ritual sacrifice. All it took was a piece of paper, and writing out why I wanted a demon, and what I wanted from them, and signing my name in my own blood before putting the paper in an open, natural spot. So I went into the woods near town, put it on a tree stump, and waited.”

“A piece of paper…on a tree stump…in a forest,” Sebastian repeated, eyes trailing off to look out into space while he processed this.

“Ye—Yeah,” Ambrose stuttered, slouching as he realized how damn stupid this sounded. He then noticed Eddie turn towards him, looking like he wanted to reach out and touch Ambrose, comfort him while he tried to tell this totally unbelievable story… _Just don’t_ , he thought bleakly. _Just don’t bother, Eddie. I know I’m a dumbass. I’m just trying here_.

Seeing his master so frail and pitiful made Eddie want to wrap him up in that human gesture called a “hug.” However, the amalgamation of fear, embarrassment, and anger brewing inside Ambrose suggested that might not be the best strategy. Instead, Eddie shyly moved his left hand toward Ambrose’s right until they were almost touching, and decided to jump in to spare his master further humiliation.

“A-and that’s how I was summoned!” he squeaked, trembling as three pairs of eyes turned towards him. The elder demon (Ambrose’s “mum”) glowered balefully, but the other two (Ambrose’s father and sibling?) looked curious. “The ritual wasn’t especially potent, but I’m…er, rather weak, so it was enough to help me make the crossing over to the mortal world,” Eddie continued haltingly. “I hadn’t contracted since Queen Victoria’s reign, and I was curious about how much time had passed and what changes had occurred since then. Then I met Ambrose, and he said that he’d brought me here because he wanted power… _demonic_ power.”

“Oh no, Ambrose!” his sibling cried, bringing their hands to their mouth, tears glistening in their eyes. While visibly distressed, Ambrose’s parents didn’t seem surprised. “Not this _again_ , kitten,” the demon muttered in despair. Eddie blinked, taken aback. It was almost like they’d expected his master to make this specific wish. Ambrose slouched lower, his eyes downcast. Unable to resist the impulse any longer, Eddie grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Ambrose shot him a startled look, but he didn’t reprimand Eddie or jerk his hand away. His curmudgeonly tendencies had been subdued by the frightening experience they’d endured.

“S-so when Ambrose told me his wish, I offered to serve him for as long as he desired,” the young demon stumbled on.

Ambrose’s mother scoffed. “You expect me to believe that there were no other stipulations to this contract of yours?” he spat.

“W-well…um…not really,” Eddie said bashfully. “I haven’t had many contracts, and I want to learn as much I can, experience as much as I can! And serve my master to the best of my abilities and…just have someone to talk to. As I said earlier, I’m not terribly strong, so other demons either pass me by or treat me cruelly.”

The older demon stared at him and shook his head in disbelief. “You truly are an amateur.”

Eddie blushed, and Ambrose scowled. “It’s not his fault, Mum. Eddie’s made some mistakes, but he tries his best!”

Eddie brightened. His master could be dour and gloomy, which made the demon fret that he wasn’t doing a good enough job. But now Ambrose was praising him!

“It’s because he _deserves_ my best!” Eddie blurted out. “My other masters treated me like a thing they could kick around at whim, or a mindless tool to achieve their wicked goals. Ambrose made me feel like a person. We’ve watched movies and browsed antiques shops together. He can be cross with me at times, but he’s never laid a hand on me. I love reading to him or just talking to him—he’s awfully clever, I’m sure you know that, bloody brilliant! A-and he gave me presents of my very own! My glasses…and this pocketwatch.”

Fumbling for a moment (as he was still holding on tight to Ambrose’s hand), Eddie removed what had become his most prized possession from his front pocket. The other demon drew in a sharp intake of breath, pain flickering for a moment in those ruby-red eyes.

Oh no. Maybe Eddie shouldn’t have done that. Had he unwittingly accepted a family heirloom from his master?

“Am-Ambrose is the best master I’ve ever had,” Eddie plunged ahead, feeling overwhelmed by his devotion and the maelstrom of emotions raging within Ambrose’s soul. “I’d do anything for him, even die for him. It hurts me when I see how lost and angry he is, and…and I just want to make him smile!” To Eddie’s bewilderment, his eyes burned with tears. He still wasn’t completely used to having a human body. Mortal forms more readily reflected the inner workings of the heart. Ambrose had flushed pink, while the rest of his family gazed at Eddie in silence.

“I know I’ll have to eat his soul whenever he’s finished with me, b-but I don’t want to,” Eddie whispered brokenly. He thought about how Ambrose had tried to shield him from his mother’s wrath. ‘If you wanna rip someone up, you’ll have to take me as well!’ The little demon put his head on Ambrose’s shoulder, shaking uncontrollably. “He’s _precious_ to me.”

“Enough!” the other demon cried, with the same pained, haunted look in his eyes as when he’d seen the pocketwatch.

You didn’t grow attached to your prey. That was one of the cardinal rules by which all demons abided. What point was there in caring for a soul that you would devour? But, against his better judgement, and without being aware of it until it was too late, Sebastian had gotten attached to the deeply wounded but indomitable Earl of Phantomhive. The watch this “Eddie” now had in his possession was a poignant reminder of the vanished past, of the child to whom Sebastian had been not merely butler, but sword, shield, teacher…father.

In a different way, the feeble, naïve imp had apparently bonded with Ambrose, who sat in stunned silence while Eddie wept against his shoulder. Sebastian still wanted to obliterate this demon from existence, but his heart was torn by the grief of which Eddie had gotten a foretaste—the unbearable pain of destroying what you have come to love.

“Moonlight,” Agni’s voice broke the silence, and he stepped up to be near his husband again as he enveloped the demon’s clenched fist in his own hand. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it as he looked into his husband’s pained expression, and knew without a doubt what Sebastian was feeling after he too had seen that familiar pocketwatch. “Please, let’s go inside and sit down. We can discuss this further once we’ve settled.” He looked over at the two young men across the way (though the former khansama had an inkling the demon was not always a man), and smiled warmly to them, trying to show that he himself welcomed them here. “Perhaps we can serve up some tea as well. You still love my chai, right, Ambrose? Does your friend drink it, too?”

Ambrose ran a hand back through his hair, taking a deep breath, trying to will his face to cool down after going so red!

“Um, he usually just makes me the tea and uh, drinks whatever I’m drinking, so…Eddie?” He asked the imp by his side, twitching his shoulder to get the demon’s attention. He knew Eddie had likely become a little overwhelmed after that bout of crying. And as awkward as it was to just stand there and let the demon weep over him, especially after he’d basically poured out his heart in front of Ambrose’s family, Ambrose didn’t want to treat him harshly. Instead, he gently ushered Eddie inside.

They were not out of this yet, after all.

Meanwhile, across the way, Aarushi let out a sigh of relief that their brother was still intact, as well as their new companion. They’d only just met, after all, and despite the predicament their brother had gotten into, Aarushi wanted to get acquainted with this young demon! It was rare to meet another demon. From Aarushi’s knowledge, they were always dangerous, no matter who you were, and it was best to just stay away.

But to meet one around their age or even younger maybe? That certainly sounded like fun! If Mama would allow it…hopefully…

* * *

While Agni busied himself with preparing the tea, Eddie and the rest of the family seated themselves around the dining room table. Sebastian noted that Eddie was still holding Ambrose’s hand and was tempted to make an acerbic comment, but he decided to let it pass. Ambrose himself looked exhausted to the point of collapse. Parental instinct took over, and Sebastian reached out to smooth his mussed-up hair.

“Mum, you’re embarrassing me,” Ambrose hissed, his face turning blotchy red.

“Sorry, kitten,” Sebastian sighed. It always pained him when his child spurned displays of affection. The realization that Ambrose’s days might be numbered rubbed salt in the wound.

“Ambrose, you know Mama’s just like that,” Aarushi chided gently. Ambrose rolled his eyes but said no more. In spite of his present anxiety, Sebastian smiled. Ever the peace-maker, little Aaru, truly their father’s child.

Turning to Eddie, Aarushi asked, “What kind of demon are you, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“I don’t mind,” Eddie stammered, huddling closer to Ambrose. “Um…I suppose I’m what you’d call an imp. One of the lowest ranks. N-no title, or anything of that sort.” His gaze darted timidly to Sebastian. Both demons were aware that Eddie was hopelessly outclassed. A few gruesome seconds, and Sebastian could easily remove that contract seal from his kitten’s right hand…

“That’s okay! Titles aren’t everything,” Aarushi said reassuringly. “What really matters is who you choose to be.” Eddie blinked and stared at them—a common reaction to Aarushi’s kindness. Sebastian himself still marveled at having brought such a softhearted child into the world.

Their black wings flapped cheerfully. “Oh! I’ve been so rude! I never actually introduced myself to you. I’m Ambrose’s older sibling, Aarushi,” they chirped. “Father’s human, but the goddess Kali blessed him with her power. Mama’s a demon, as…as I’m sure you figured out by now.” Their bright red eyes fixed Sebastian in a sad, reproachful look. Aarushi abhorred violence, and Sebastian reflected ruefully that they might scold him for his behavior when they were in private.

“Mama and Father met and fell in love while Mama was on contract. Later, they got married and settled down here to raise a family!” Eddie’s mouth formed a surprised little “o.” Such unions were practically unheard of in hell.

“I had no idea!” Eddie exclaimed. “It’s just…Ambrose is mortal, so I naturally assumed…”

Sebastian glanced over and saw a dark scowl twist his younger child’s face. “It’s complicated,” Sebastian interjected smoothly. The story of how Hannah Annafellows had stripped an infant Ambrose of his demonic essence to save his life remained a painful one, and they had enough troubles with which to contend. Right on cue, Agni emerged, bearing five steaming cups of chai.

In an attempt to change the subject, the demon brought the chitchat to a close. “But enough of that. We need to concentrate on the matter at hand—what to do about this contract.” Agni seated himself next to Sebastian and placed a hand over his. Just having his husband present made the demon relax. They would fix this. He’d been one hell of a butler in his day, and they would fix this.

Sipping his tea, Sebastian’s mind raced through centuries of knowledge on devilish covenants. “There are a limited number of outcomes that a contract may have, the most common of which involves the demon devouring the contractee’s soul,” he began slowly. His throat closed up on the last words, and pictures of Ambrose’s dismembered, bloodied corpse rose unbidden to his mind. Agni squeezed his hand comfortingly. _Have courage. I’m here_ , the gesture seemed to say. Not wanting the younger demon to sense his distress, Sebastian continued resolutely. “However, Eddie has indicated that he no longer wants Ambrose’s soul for this purpose.”

“No! Never!” the demon shook their head emphatically, gazing at Ambrose with an open adoration that made the young man blush.

“One means of forestalling this outcome is to kill the demon or demons involved, which renders the contract null and void.”

Ambrose’s eyes flashed fire. “Mum…” he growled. At the same time, Agni pleaded, “Now, moonlight…” and Aarushi begged, “But Eddie’s nice, Mama!”

Sebastian leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “Calm yourselves. I could do so if I wished, but it appears I am outvoted.”

After a brief silence, Eddie plaintively asked, “What else can be done?”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “That depends on the phrasing of this particular contract. Do you recall _exactly_ what you and Ambrose said when you formed the covenant?”

“That Eddie would lend me his power for as long as I desired, that he would serve me faithfully to the fullest extent of his abilities, and that he could claim my soul when our contract came to an end,” Ambrose jumped in. Eddie nodded. “Yes, that’s right!”

Relief rushed through Sebastian. He could work with this. Cocking an eyebrow, he remarked, “Kitten, it’s fortunate that you summoned an inexperienced imp. Most of us would never agree to such vague terms. ‘For as long as I desire!’ You could stretch the contract out for the duration of your lifespan!”

Both Eddie and Ambrose looked mortified. “Sheesh. I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly. Like I said earlier, I’d had a bad day,” Ambrose grumbled. “And how was Eddie supposed to know this stuff?”

“In this case, your blunders might literally be your salvation. We can find a few loopholes, I think,” Sebastian winked. An idea—admittedly, an outlandish one—began to piece itself together.

“Eddie, are you quite sure that you said you would _claim_ Ambrose’s soul when the contract ended? You didn’t include any words that specifically alluded to eating?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Eddie replied.

“You’ve thought of something!” Aarushi exclaimed happily, eyes shining. “I know you have, Mama!”

“It’s risky, but I might have a solution. When demons speak of claiming a soul, it’s generally understood to refer to the act of soul-eating. However, an ancient, much less common use of this phrase describes a ritual in which a human soul is transformed into a demonic entity.”

Everyone around the table froze.

“That’s impossible, Mum,” Ambrose whispered.

“Exceedingly difficult and fraught with risk. Not impossible, kitten,” Sebastian corrected him. “It can be done, but only if various conditions have been met. The human must be allowed to reach the end of their life peacefully, dying of natural causes. Otherwise, the trauma of having the soul ripped from the body will doom the ritual to failure. The human in question must agree to be changed of their own free will. Ideally, their soul should also have some prior connection to us. This is certainly true in Ambrose’s case. In addition to being a contractee, he’s my son, and one of the Matriarchs already had to alter his soul in his infancy.”

“It’s a long story,” he added after seeing the look of curiosity on Eddie’s face.

“I-I don’t think I’m strong enough to complete a ritual like that…” the young demon said apprehensively.

“You don’t have to be. Our family is on good terms with that particular Matriarch, and she’d lend you her power. In fact, a Matriarch’s presence is required for this type of ceremony. They’re the founders of our race, after all, and their brand of magic is crucial. Even then, success won’t be guaranteed, I fear. We’d be interfering with the natural order of things, and there are always consequences to that. Not to mention that other demons might try to foil our efforts if they caught wind of it.”

Sebastian’s eyes burned scarlet with determination. “But I will go to any lengths to save my child, even desperate ones.”

The surprise and awe around the table lingered, the silence only punctuated by Aarushi’s gasp and the soft noise of Agni kissing his husband’s hand once again as he looked at him with pride and relief. A look that clearly said, _I knew you would think of something_.

And then Ambrose was lifting his head, his chest heaving as he took in this plan, and all it implied.

“M…Mum…” A choked sob broke free, and a tear rolled down his left cheek. “You… you would… you would l-let me…?”

“Ambrose…” Aarushi squeaked, immediately affected by seeing their brother in such a state. They got up straight away to wrap their arms around him and hold on tight.

And for once, the young man didn’t struggle out of their embrace. He stared dumbfounded at his mother, against whom he’d stubbornly rebelled for years, from whom he’d run away on a moment’s notice. A part of him simply wanted to deny it. After all, there was so much time between then and now. An entire lifetime of waiting…an entire lifetime for something else to come up. For his mother to change their mind, hunt Eddie down, and tear him to pieces on a whim.

But Ambrose saw his demon mother’s tender gaze, which told him everything the ancient demon felt, and had since his birth.

Another sob, and Ambrose’s head sank, his long white hair falling forward to cover his face.

“Thank you… Mum…” he managed to choke out, “… th-thank you.. so much.”

A hand cupped his cheek, and he glanced through the curtain of his hair to see a tearful Eddie, as the demon tried to get their beloved master and friend to rest his weary head against _them_ this time.

Ambrose did so without complaint, as the tears flowed.

Eddie looked back up at his master’s mother and father over the table, and nodded in agreement with what Ambrose had said. There were no other words, truly, for how grateful he was for getting to stay with his master, and have a chance to change the mistakes they had made, to change fate itself for Ambrose.

* * *

Ambrose eventually calmed down enough for them to finish their tea, and Agni suggested that he and Eddie stay the night. “It’s been an eventful day, and you two especially need to rest,” he’d urged. Not to mention the matter of Ambrose’s badly damaged car, but Mum could repair that easily enough. Eddie fetched their suitcases, and Ambrose pointed him in the direction of his room. Turning in the hallway, Ambrose nearly ran into his mother. For a moment, the two stood awkwardly, neither knowing what to say. Ambrose was still trying to process what had happened over the past hour. But he suddenly knew that what he needed more than anything right now was to be held. So he did what he’d refused to do for years on end—hug Sebastian and rest his head against his chest. His mother’s arms were around him in an instant, loving and secure. Ambrose found himself crying again, body wracked with quiet sobs. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, not only for today and the whole muddled business with the contract, but for all the years of anger, bitterness, and resentment he’d put his long-suffering mother through.

“There, there,” his mum replied soothingly, stroking his hair with a trembling hand. Impulsively, he clutched Ambrose tighter. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have been that vicious, but you scared the hell out of me, Ambrose. When I saw that seal, the only thing I could think of was that I was going to lose you—"

He broke off, burying his face in Ambrose’s hair. “Watching one of my kittens suffer such a fate is more than I can bear,” his mother whispered.

“But all I’ve ever done is be mean and ungrateful…and push you away.”

“You’re still my child, kitten. I’ll always love you, no matter how much you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you!” Looking up with tearful eyes, Ambrose stammered, “I-I love you too, Mum.” His mother’s eyes widened (normally, Ambrose would rather die a slow and painful death than say anything of this sort) before the demon started to purr and gently kissed the top of his head.

Eddie’s voice drifted down the hall. “Ambrose! Are you coming?”

“Just a minute!” Ambrose yelled over his shoulder, sniffling and wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve.

“I’d best let you go before your demon gets worried,” Mum smiled, smoothing Ambrose’s hair back into place. This time, Ambrose let him.

“You’re sure you’re all right, dear?” Mum asked fretfully as Ambrose turned to go to his room.

“Yeah,” Ambrose replied. To his shock, he found himself smiling, and he felt more content than he had in years or…ever, really. “I think I am.”


End file.
